News from St. Petersburg College

Archive for March, 2010

St. Petersburg College’s Clearwater Campus Crossroads Gallery, 2465 Drew St., will host the 11th Annual Juried Student Exhibition April 5 – 20. The show will feature selected visual works from SPC students displaying their talents in a variety of art media.
A reception will be held April 8 from 6 to 8 p.m., during which an award ceremony will recognize 12 of the most outstanding works in the exhibition. Awards will range from a $500 Best of Show to $50 merit achievements.
The exhibition is open to the public. Admission is free.

Thomas Keegan, one of four finalists for the position of president of St. Petersburg College, is touring SPC campuses today through Thursday.
Keegan is president of Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Wash.
Check the Presidential Search Web site for specific dates, times and locations for each candidate’s campus visit and how you can make your voice heard in the selection process.
Videos of the Board of Trustees interviews for each candidate will be posted online by April 8.
The final decision on who will be SPC’s next president will be made at a Board of Trustees public meeting at 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 13 in EpiCenter Room 1-453.

With the news coverage of this past weekend’s Gran Prix of St. Petersburg, there have been a few mentions of SPC freshman Nick Andries, who competed in the Star Mazda Series race. Here’s a story in the St. Petersburg TIMES that mentions him. Unfortunately, Nick crashed on the seventh lap and was out of the race.

The system, which will generate power for the electrical grid, will be installed on the roof of the LEED Gold Natural Science, Mathematics and College of Education building, already one of Tampa bay’s most environmentally friendly buildings.

Installation should take about a week.

“The 3.5 kilowatt thin-film solar blanket will be the first commercial installation of the new generation of solar collection systems installed in this area,” said Jason Green, SPC Sustainability Coordinator. “The installation demonstrates St Petersburg College’s dedication to finding solutions to the global warming issue.”

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our Student Chapter of The Florida Engineering Society,” said John Williams, Academic Chairman of SPC’s Natural Science Department. “Students will be able to compare this system in this environment with data collected at an identical installation in Littleton, Colo.”

This system to be installed was selected because of its tolerance to hurricane force winds, harsh environments, better performance in lower light conditions and flexibility.

“One of the benefits of a thin-film system is that it is basically a peel-and-stick system that sits directly on top of the existing roof membrane and doesn’t require a great deal of additional structure,” said James Pedicone, SPC Project Coordinator. “Also, the company which originally installed the roof manufactured and will install the solar collection system, so we are able to maintain the original roof warranty.”

“The research data retrieved from this project will be utilized to determine the most energy efficient solar applications as we continue to expand our sustainability efforts as well as decrease our energy consumption,” said Diana Wright, SPC Energy Coordinator.

St. Petersburg College will participate in Earth Hour, turning off non-essential lighting to demonstrate its concern for climate change.

Earth Hour begins at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 27.

“Earth Hour is a powerful message that climate change is an important priority that must be dealt with now,” said Jason Green, SPC’s Sustainability Coordinator. “By turning off non-essential lighting for one hour, hundreds of millions of people across the globe will show their support for lasting action to protect Earth’s natural resources, environment and climate.”

Led by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour has grown from a citywide effort in 2007 to a global phenomenon that has captured attention around the world. Individuals, organizations, businesses, and state and local governments come together to turn off lights in homes, workplaces, and at such landmarks as the Empire State Building, Las Vegas Strip, Sydney’s Opera House and others. In 2009 alone, Earth Hour spanned 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents.

St Petersburg College will turn off all non-essential lighting on all campuses. Some lights will remain on if they affect lives, safety or security.

To get involved in Earth Hour:

Sign up at EarthHour.org, and get tips on how to reduce one’s impact on the environment.

Spread the word by inviting students, friends and family to join the movement.

Turn off non-essential lighting at 8:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, March 27.